Our story started back in 2020.
We started out as a small catering company, and we were so excited to be able to serve our first meal. Now, a decade later, we're still delivering the same great food and service that made us a local favorite in the first place.
How our founder met
Our founder, Lai, was born in the mountains of China. He grew up with a passion for food and a love for cooking.
When he was young, his mother taught him how to make dumplings. The family would gather around the table every night and enjoy these delicious treats together.
Lai didn't know it at the time, but those moments spent making dumplings with his family would be what inspired him to start his own catering business later on in life.
We're so excited to share our story!
It all started when we were living in New York City, and we were too busy to cook. We'd come home late from work and just want to eat something quick and delicious. So we started making meals for us and our friends—you know, just to help them out when they needed it. And then… well, you guessed it: we got really good at it!
We had been cooking for friends for so long that when we went back home to Virginia, we decided to start a business doing what we love: making food for people who are hungry and need it. That's how Lai Catering came into being…
Meet our team
Our team is here to make your event a success!
The values that drive everything we do
Love & Passion
When it comes to your event, we're not just thinking of the food. We're thinking of the experience.
Flavour
We like to think of our catering services as a little taste of home.
Care & craft
We believe that food should be a celebration of life, and we're here to help you make it happen.
Customer-first
We believe that our customers are the most important people in our lives.
Teamwork
Whether you're planning a small team meeting or a full-scale event, we know that your success is our success.
Quality
We're committed to providing the best possible experience for our customers—and we're confident that once you try us out, you'll be back again and again!
